Fairy Harry and the Isle of Avalon
by Cupcakes and Kitten Mittens
Summary: AU: Harry was born a fairy and when his wings sprout it's time for him to start school. The Dursleys aren't awful. Dudley is a thrall. The school is in the Fairy Realm of Avalon. Younger-looking Dumbledore and McGonagall. Weasleys are wonderful. CisFem Hagrid. Recreations of battles. Sorted by wing color. Unseelie and monsters. Pretty images. Loosely based on Book 1.
1. Chapter 1

One only had to look at Number Four Privet Drive to know something was wrong with it.

The date was late July 1991, and the house was covered in butterflies.

"I am not sending him to some school to become a fairy!" A voice roared from within. There was a ripple of colored wings that could have been construed as a communal titter.

"I—I'm not sure we have a choice, dear…" a female voice sounded resigned.

"There's always a choice!" A man roared back.

"Well, if you can think of one, why don't you grace us with your idea, Vernon?" She snapped back as she gestured to the boy in front of them. "How can we hide him when he's gone off and sprouted _wings?!"_

The boy was small for his age, with messy black hair, bright green eyes, and glasses. He also had a pair of brilliant gold and burgundy wings sticking out of the back of his shirt.

"Well, your sister could keep it under control, couldn't she? She had to have!"

"Only after she went to that place and they taught her how," the woman said bitterly. "We had to hide her in a closet when the neighbors popped by until they came to get her."

"Well, how long until they can get come get him?"

"We write a response on the leaf they sent us and then we blow it into the wind," the woman told him. "Then they'll send someone at nightfall tomorrow."

"Downright primitive if you ask me." The man harrumphed. "How does it know where to go?"

"Fairy magic." The woman shrugged. "But that's how it works. He'll be gone."

"I'm not sure we can pass up this chance," the man said eagerly. "It'll save us quite a bit of bother and money."

"Then I'll write them back right now," the woman said, as if the boy wasn't in the room. She rose to her feet and went to look for a pen.

"Go to your room, boy," the man said sternly, and the boy slunk out of the parlor and down the hall to the bedroom he shared with his cousin.

He opened the door and a heavy-set blond boy a few years older than him sat up on the lower bed of a set of bunk beds. "What did they say?"

"They're sending me to that school. They finally have a way to get rid of me." The smaller boy said in a small voice.

The other boy sucked in a breath. "Maybe I can come with you?"

"How?"

"As your thrall."

"Are you insane? We just found out about this and you want to be a thrall? You don't know what that means! _I_ don't know what that means!" The boy thought for a moment. "I'm not even sure how you do it."

"Isn't it just a promise?"

"Can't be. You bet me yesterday the Tigers wouldn't win and you're supposed to be my slave for the day. If it was that easy wouldn't you already be my thrall because you're pledged to me today?"

The other boy looked downtrodden. "You're probably right. We probably have to do a blood oath or something."

"I'm not cutting my finger open for you."

"Harry! Dudley!" The voice was sharp.

They looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Besides sprout wings." 

"Shut up."

"What's this?!" Vernon burst into the room, startling the boys and waving a large leaf around. It had gold writing on it.

"What is a thrall and why are they insisting Dudley register himself?!" Vernon demanded, his eyes bulging.

"It's all my fault, dad," Dudley spoke up eagerly. "Entirely."

Vernon turned on his son. "What do you mean it's all _your_ fault?"

"I said the Tigers would win yesterday and Harry said they'd lose, so I bet him that if they lost I'd be his slave for the day…" Dudley trailed off as he saw his father's shoulders slump.

"We didn't know," Harry spoke up nervously. "We'd never have done it if we had. I swear."

Vernon tried to throw a dirty look at his nephew, but he looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He sighed deeply.

"Well, then it looks like the both of you are going off to school."


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you _mean_ we can't take anything with us?" Dudley whined. "I _need_ my phone!"

"Phones don't work in Avalon," his mother told him gently. "But you can hear my voice on the wind and we'll write."

"The first free thrall in a thousand years," Vernon said, as if he were trying to make anything into a proud moment.

"Think of it this way, dad. I'm getting a free education at an elite school as a scholarship student." Dudley sighed.

"And that's what we'll tell the neighbors, won't we, Petunia?" Vernon beamed. "Both of the boys did very well in their tests."

"Of course they did." She agreed with him as if it had actually happened.

There was a knock on the door and Harry looked up, frightened.

Dudley put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm coming, too."

Petunia opened the door to reveal a tall, thin red-haired man dressed in purple leather. He was holding a motorcycle helmet. "Albus!"

"Hello, my dear," he said warmly as he kissed her on the cheek and she giggled and blushed, a side effect of fairy magic. "I haven't been allowed back into the human realm in _ages!"_

"Probably for good reason," she scolded him. "I hear the Americans never recovered from Woodstock."

"Oh, the Americans are fine." He waved her off. His eyes lit upon Harry. "Oh, goodness, he _i_ s James' son, isn't he?"

"Well, we did wonder for a while." Petunia admitted under her breath. "And this is our son, Dudley."

The fairy sized up the human boy and nodded. "You as strong as you look?"

"I think so," Dudley said, surprised.

"You smart?"

"I don't know what your definition of smart is." Dudley admitted.

"You're smart." The man nodded with a sense of finality.

"Of course he is," Vernon huffed. "Top of his class in literature and languages." He thought for a moment. "Kind of a toss at science and math, though."

"Hopefully, you'll be an example to the other thrall." Albus smiled. "You should talk to Hagrid. He's a free thrall."

"I thought Dudley was the first in a thousand years," Vernon growled.

"Hagrid's fairy died. Dudley's fairy still lives," Albus said politely. "There's quite a difference."

"Do you have a thrall?" Vernon asked the fairy challengingly.

"I did once, but I'm afraid he went mad. He was getting old for a human," Albus said, smiling. "It happens to the best of us… eventually."

"How long do fairies live?" Dudley asked curiously.

"I was born in 1775, right before the war started," Albus said, smiling. "My wings came in at fifteen."

"Oh, a bit of a late bloomer, then?" Petunia asked. "I never knew. Harry's only eleven."

"He'll be one of the youngest, but there are enough children his age he'll fit right in." Albus reassured her.

"What about Dudley?" Vernon frowned.

"How old are you, Dudley?" Albus asked.

"Almost fourteen."

"It's uncommon for a fairy to have a thrall older than them, but you _are_ family and the circumstances were quite… unusual."

"We didn't do it on purpose!" Harry groaned as if he'd been hearing this all day, which he had.

"I believe you," Albus grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "Dudley, there will be plenty of other thralls and fairies your age."

Dudley looked relieved.

"Well, we had better be off, boys," Albus said gently. No time like the present and all of the new students will be gathering soon.

The boys said their goodbyes. There were plenty of tears for Dudley and a ruffle of hair and a hug for Harry before the boys followed Albus outside to a wooden motorbike decorated in leaves and wisps of smoke. It had a sidecar wide enough for two, and two helmets and pairs of goggles were waiting inside.

The boys climbed in before slipping on the helmets and goggles and buckling the straps to hold them in.

Albus mounted the motorbike and turned the key. It made a low humming sound, almost like a hive of bees.

The boys waved good bye merrily and they were off.

They rode to the end of the street, but where the road turned, they began rising into the air.

"Why doesn't anyone see us?" Harry yelled as the wind whipped around them.

"Fairy magic!" Albus bellowed. "And if you think that's something, watch this!"

He pushed a button on the console and the wisps of smoke that wove their way around the motorbike grew thicker until they enveloped both it and its riders.

The bike slowed down to a crawl and they drifted over houses and backyards until they found a man asleep in a hammock with a magazine over his face. Albus pointed to a button with a lightning bolt on it before covering his mouth mischeviously. He pressed it.

 _**BOOM**_

The man spun around in his hammock as rain began pouring down on him. He grabbed his things and ran for the comfort of his living room as the boys laughed uproariously.

"We can only be naughty once a trip or they don't let you out again," Albus warned the boys as they continued on, leaving the man to wonder what on earth had happened as he watched a single raincloud in the sky speed off.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry and Dudley enjoyed their trip across the country, although there was no more mischief along the way. They began to fly over the ocean, Harry enjoying the sea air and the waves in the water.

An island began to loom in front of them. It was covered in heavy wet mist and black jagged rocks stuck out of the water in a ring around it. They flew over the rocks and through the mist, and when they came out of it Harry got the chills.

The sun was brighter, the sky bluer, the grass greener and dotted with flowers. The motorbike touched down on the grass and buzzed over the uneven ground.

"You'd normally come over in a boat," Dumbledore told them. "But since you have an unregistered free thrall they're making an exception."

They puttered slower as they approached the castle and drove around the side of the immense building to the stables. An enormously tall woman was brushing down a Clydesdale horse. She made it look like a pony and it didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it was acting more like a happy dog than a horse.

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore called out. "Come meet Lily and James' boy, and his cousin!"

She set down her brush and scratched the horse behind the ears. She walked over to them, beaming. "Well, 'course he is! He looks just like James! Has Lily's wings, though."

"Do I?" Harry asked.

"You don't know?" Hagrid frowned.

"Erm… my aunt and mother were estranged," Dudley said embarrassedly. "They had just made up and were coming over to the house when the car crash happened."

Harry lifted his hair to reveal a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

"Sad thing," Hagrid shook her head. "They were good people, but James was never good with human inventions."

"Harry, Dudley. This is Ruby Hagrid, our Housekeeper and Head of Security." Dumbledore introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," Harry and Dudley said in unison.

"Well, it's obvious you two are a matched set." Hagrid chuckled. "Why'd you get the special motorbike treatment?"

"Dudley is our new free thrall," Dumbledore said impressively.

"I heard about that! How'd you manage that one?"

Harry and Dudley both blushed as they stammered out their story. When they were done Hagrid threw her head back and laughed loudly. "Well, that's a new one! Can't wait to see what you two come up with next!"

The boys blushed as they were led up to the castle. They stopped at a small guard shack to register Dudley and the tiny man inside wished them both good luck.

Dumbledore led them to a side door and into a room where other fairies and thrall were gathered. Harry looked around and saw a sea of burgundy, green, blue, and yellow wings. He grinned widely as he went in and Dumbledore left them. He looked around and spotted a long couch and he motioned to Dudley to follow him. They settled in.

"What are we waiting for?" Dudley asked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "But we're in the right place."

A bell rang and a door opened and everyone got to their feet. A tall fairy in black leathers and wire-rimmed glasses stared them down. Her hair was green and there was a single pheasant feather in her hair. She had burgundy wings as well.

"I am Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall." Her eyes settled on each of them in turn. "Gryffindors, come with me! Everyone with red wings! Bring your thralls."

Harry and Dudley stepped forward with other Gryffindor students and they were looked up and down.

"Most satisfactory," the fairy said decisively. "Follow me."

And so they did, down a long hallway and into a large food hall that was enchanted to look like the sky. Four long tables were set up for the students and they were seated by wing color.

The Gryffindor students were led up on stage and called forward by their Head of House. Each table clapped politely as the new students were introduced, but the Gryffindor table went mad with each name. Harry felt quite welcome and relief settled over him as he and Dudley made their way to the tables.

Harry sat near a red-haired boy and Dudley made his way to the largest table, which was for the thralls. They clapped and welcomed him warmly and Dudley gave Harry a thumbs-up.

"I'm Ron Weasley," the red-haired boy introduced himself.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"I know! You're the Potter heir!" Ron exclaimed.

"I guess so." Harry shrugged.

"I bet you have your own room," Ron said wistfully. "You even have a thrall."

"I share with my cousin, Dudley," Harry said, nodding at his cousin. "And technically he's a free thrall."

"Oh! Our dad told us that!" One of a set of red-haired twins piped up across the table.

"What are the chances?" The other asked.

"Lucky he's your cousin. Would have been bad if he was a neighbor or something." Ron said.

"We're Fred and George," the twins said in unison. "We're this ones' brother."

"We've got another brother, too. Percy, but he's out on patrol."

"Patrol for what?" Harry asked.

"Anything trying to break in or out." Fred or George said.

"Or anyone," George or Fred said ominously.

The other students and thrall were introduced and sorted to their tables. Dumbledore took his place behind a gold podium with flowers carved on it.

"Welcome to Avalon! You have made it through the mists and the Island has deemed you worthy! You should be proud, we lost twenty prospective students this year. We shall have a moment of silence in their memory."

Most of the students bowed their heads, but several first years and thrall looked horrified, though they stayed silent.

"Only the most loyal make it through. It was a security feature integrated in the sixteenth century during the Crystal Crisis to insure non-human intervention. Something you will all learn about this year, and I hope you will enjoy!"

There was an excited buzzing throughout the room.

"At the end of term we will be recreating the Battle of Courts, so I suggest anyone that wants to be a major figure put emphasis on physical development." He seemed to look at several students pointedly. "We will have Skirmishes between Houses as usual in order for you to prove yourselves. Best of luck! And now will create our own music with the school song!"

Harry was alarmed. He didn't know anything about a song! He looked at Ron, who shrugged.

Dumbledore tapped a hand against the top of the podium and the students sat up straight. Their wings began to vibrate in different frequencies and a simple, pretty tune floated through the air. Harry grinned widely and looked at Ron who appeared to be delighted.

The music ended and Dumbledore clapped his hands. Food appeared on the tables.

Harry recognized some things, but others made him tilt his head to one side. "I don't know what all of this is," he said to no one in particular.

"Boiled quail eggs colored with tea," Ron began pointing out. "Fish. Salad stuff, salad stuff, salad stuff…"

"What's that?" Harry asked as he motioned to a bowl of what looked like dirt with flowers.

"Dirt and flowers. I don't like the flowers, but the dirt is good on salads."

"Is it really dirt?"

"What's dirt made of?" Ron asked his brothers.

"Mushrooms, nuts, spices." One of them rattled off. "I don't know what kind of spices, but I think there's cinnamon in there."

Ron pointed out a few more dishes that looked a little too organic, but were made up of common enough foods.

Harry made himself a plate of food and ate his fill.

He looked to the head table and wondered what the fairies behind it did. He saw a tall, dark wizard with a hooked nose talking to a slight fairy with his hair piled high with violets. The man gave him a queasy feeling.

"Who's that?" Harry asked Ron."

"Who? Him?" Ron gestured to the head table with a chicken bone. "That's Professor Snape. He's been teaching Potions for years, but word has it he has his eye on the Unseelie job. If I were Quirrel I'd watch out for him."

"Is the other teacher Quirrel? What's the Unseelie job?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that's Quirrel," Ron said. "He went to Atlantis to study water fairies. Got mixed up with some dark fairies and was never quite the same. Ministry said he lost his nerve."

"Unseelie are fairies that practice dark magic so much it alters them," Fred or George explained. "It changes you. Look at Snape. It's obvious he's been touched."

Harry studied the sallow-skinned man staring intently at Quirrel, who was chattering away. There wasn't anything wrong with him, per se, but where most fairies were full of life and joy he exuded darkness and mystery.

Harry felt that queasy feeling in his stomach again.

"Have some honeysuckle wine," one of the twins said soothingly as he poured a goblet. "Don't think about the big, bad, cranky fairy."

"I'm not allowed to have wine," Harry said automatically.

"You are now." The other twin smirked. "You can't get drunk. You're a fairy."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Really." Ron said nodding as he poured a goblet of red wine for himself. "It has to be in order for it to be sterile enough for us to drink."

"I can drink whatever I want," Harry said, frowning.

"But you grew up there, didn't you? It's not such a shock to your system." Ron reasoned.

Harry discovered they were right about the wine not getting him drunk and after they finished their meal there was a marching of feet and the Hall grew silent. Four older students tramped in with a small group in step behind them. They stopped in front of the long table the teachers ate at.

Dumbledore got to his feet and put his napkin down. "Students, these are your Head Boys. Head Girls will be joining you later. The people with them are your House prefects. They will assist you in your lives here, and will discipline you if need be. We run off a point system in each House. Good deeds earn you points, misdeeds lose them. There are events throughout the year to win more points and at the end of the year we will award the winning house with the House Cup."

"There's Percy, my other brother," Ron whispered to Harry. He pointed to the Gryffindor prefects and Harry spotted a tall speckled boy with thick, curly red hair. "He's going to be Head Boy one day."

"Your Head boys and prefects will escort you to your common rooms. There you will settle in and get to know the place where you will be living for the next seven years." Dumbledore beamed at them. "Welcome to Avalon!"

Students began getting to their feet and Harry followed Ron and the twins over to the House Officers. They were led out of the Hall and through the school, seeing the inside of the castle in its true form for the first time.


	4. Chapter 4

The walls inside the castle were white and the windows were set high and let in enough light to make them glow with the fading sunshine.

"Gryffindors live in Gryffindor Tower,"Percy Weasley explained as they went up a staircase. "Each House has a semi-secret location in the castle where the portal to their living areas are hidden. Both we and Ravenclaw have towers. Hufflepuff and Slytherin are subterranean."

They continued on through the castle, marveling at the moving portraits on the wall. Most of the portraits greeted the students, but a few ignored them completely and several more pretended to be asleep.

Finally, they stopped at a large portrait of an older, curvy fairy with brown curls and red wings that had faded nearly to pink.

"This is the Fat Fairy," Percy explained. "She guards the portal to our realm."

The fairy waved merrily at them.

"We have passwords to get through the passage. They do change from time to time so I suggest you keep up with the notice board." He went on. _"We shall rise up!"_

The door opened and Harry blinked. They were inside an enormous white room that was most certainly on the ground. There was an arched door leading outside and paned windows set into the walls. The air was sweet and the older students piled in and immediately ran outside, laughing and spreading their wings in play.

"Each year has its own sleeping areas. The numbers on the walls correspond to your years. Put your hand on the panel and your door will open up. Harry. Show us what happens when you touch the panel."

Harry started, but he did as he was told. He placed his hand on the numeral 1 and the wall seemed to melt away and led them down a green corridor with stairs leading up.

"You may have separate bedrooms or share with others. Private family rooms are located higher than the others. "Potter, yours has your name engraved on the door. Just keep climbing. Thomas, Patil, Longbottom. Yours are up there as well."

An Indian girl began climbing the stairs with another girl that had long, honey-brown hair that curled at the ends.

A black boy looked surprised. "I have a private room?"

"Well, it says Simpkins on it, not Thomas, but it's yours all the same. No one's been in it since your father." Percy said.

The boy nodded and began climbing the stairs.

"Keep in mind that if your family has a legacy room they will change location as your year changes. Next year you'll go through the second year portal to get to your quarters." Percy explained.

Harry looked at Ron and shrugged. He headed for the stairs and began climbing.

"Oh, no you don't!" Fred and George ran through the door and back into the common room. "Our little brother is bunking with us! Family tradition! Tell the elves to bring in another bed for the Weasley 3rd year room!"

Percy cocked a corner of his mouth at them. "Whatever you say."

The twins grabbed their brother and dragged him through another portal, ignoring his protestations.

Harry climbed the staircase alone, going up and up, past other rooms with other family names before coming to one that said 'Potter.'

He put his hand on his name and the wall melted away. He stepped into the room and looked around.

The walls were semi-transparent and the dying light of the setting sun filtered through light red walls.

This is where his father lived. His things were still here waiting for Harry.

Harry looked over the shelves of books and pictures. Generations, it looked like. People in old-fashioned clothing smiled at the artist cheerfully. A row of black cloaks hung on golden hooks and a bow was mounted on the wall.

"Excuse me, have you seen a toad?"

Harry turned around to see a bushy-haired fairy with fast-moving wings.

"What?" Harry asked.

"A toad. A fairy named Neville lost his toad and I'm helping look for it."

"Oh," Harry said. "No, I haven't seen a toad."

Ron arrived at the door. "Hey, Harry! Have you seen a toad? Longbottom's lost his familiar."

"Are you sure it's his familiar?" the girl asked Ron. "If it was his familiar he'd be bonded to it and know where he was."

Ron thought for a moment. "If it was a new bond it might be iffy."

She pondered this for a moment. "He said his uncle gave it to him."

"We should find it before someone's familiar eats it," Ron reminded her. "Want to come, Harry?"

"I think I'm going to stay here for a minute," Harry said. "Look through some of my dad's old stuff."

"Oh, it's going to be a lot more than that. There's probably junk from hundreds of years in there." Ron remarked.

"Maybe I will come, then," Harry said, throwing a look over his shoulder. "I grew up with humans. I don't know what we're supposed to do tomorrow."

"I'll come up to help you," Ron assured him. "It's just student tunics and breeches, boots, and a cloak. I'm sure it's all around here somewhere." His eyes roamed around. "I bet it's all in that trunk." He pointed to a shiny red trunk pushed up against the end of the bed.

Harry went to the trunk and opened it. It was full of books and quills, inks and clothing, and a fine pair of black boots. "You're right!" He stood up and grinned. "Let's go look for a toad!"

Harry and Ron discovered the girl's name was Hermione and together the three of them combed the hallway and questioned people who were settling in and unpacking. They also searched basic rooms that looked fairly normal compared to Harry's before going outside.

The sky was a mash of blues, golds, pinks, and oranges as the last sliver of the sun disappeared behind a line of trees across from a grassy clearing.

Harry turned to look at the tower and laughed. The base and the common room was in the shape of a giant mushroom. Sprouting from here and there were giant flower stems growing upwards, large closed blossoms weighing heavily from them.

"Is that where my room is?" Harry asked? "In a flower?"

"Well, you are a fairy." Hermione pointed out.

"I suppose I am," Harry muttered. He looked around himself to take in the area.

The tower was located in an immense grassy clearing ringed with thick forest. There was a small lake with trees around it's rim, and flowers and fruit trees dotting the landscape. Fountains tinkled merrily, and statues with small brass plaques decorated the lawn. There were inviting benches and tables, and if Harry wasn't mistaken, a treehouse perched in an enormous oak tree.

They looked for the toad all over and finally found him settled in near a fountain, croaking happily in his sleep.

"Neville! We found him!" Hermione called out.

A chubby blond fairy ran over to them, huffing but happy. "Trevor!" He took the toad in his hands and cradled him. "Stop being so naughty!"

To his credit, the toad croaked happily and snuggled down into Neville's arms.

"Thank you," Neville said in a relieved voice. "He normally comes back, but this is a new place— "

"You don't have to explain to us," Ron said grinning. "It's tough enough to keep track of your things on the first day without them running off on you."

"I'm going to put a tracking device on you," Neville muttered to his toad.

"That won't work—" Hermione started.

"Shh!" Neville covered Trevor's ear holes. "He'll hear you and know I'm not serious."

Harry bit back a laugh as the toad rolled his eyes upwards to look at Neville like he was an idiot.

They stayed near the fountain, watching Trevor hop happily around the rim eating small bugs attracted to the water as the light disappeared.

Golden orbs of light appeared over the clearing, lighting it as if they were at a night time garden party. Someone started a fire and several students were gathered around it laughing and toasting food they had brought from home.

Eventually, a bell rang and the Gryffindors went back inside to group together in the common room.

The Head Boy had lit the fireplace and the light from the flames made it look as if the lion on the tapestry above it was moving.

"Welcome to Gryffindor Tower! I'm David Stewart, your Head Boy for this year, which means I'm in charge of you.

We're not an unreasonable house, but we do have rules. When you hear the bell, come inside. Get to your classes on time, contribute where you can, and try to make us proud.

You may explore the tower and the clearing, but no one is allowed in the forbidden forest without an approved hunting party. No exceptions." He seemed to be looking pointedly at the Weasley twins.

"Also, the red doors in Avalon have been marked as Forbidden and anyone that opens, or tries to open a door does so at the risk of mortal peril. Now, let's go forth and make this the best year ever!"

"What was that about the red doors?" Ron whispered to Harry in an alarmed voice as the rest of the students cheered.

"Do you think it's really true?" Neville asked Hermione in a worried voice.

"It must be." Hermione frowned. "If it was a trick so we'd miss classes the teachers would get really mad."

"I wonder why?" Harry asked. He looked at the twins.

"Beats us. Percy didn't say anything. From the look on his face he didn't know either." One of them replied and nodded towards Percy, who was frowning and looking indignant.

"The chimes will ring in the morning to wake you, if your room hasn't been set. You'll be expected to wash and dress before breakfast. I suggest you get your schedules from the announcement board on the wall and organize for tomorrow so you aren't rushed. Many of the teachers don't tolerate lateness and skipping breakfast is never a good idea." He motioned to a gold rope hanging down from one wall. "If there is ever an emergency, pull this rope. It will notify both Professor McGonagall and me immediately. Don't pull it to be funny. She has a distinct lack of humor when it comes to problems or security breaches."

That last bit made Harry shiver. She didn't look like the type of woman to annoy. He desperately hoped he would do well in her classes.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Harry found himself burrowing his head under the pillows. It was like the sun was shining directly into his eyes. He heard the morning chimes to get up and he groaned and poked his head out again. Where was the sun coming from?

He felt around for his glasses and put them on, shading his eyes. There _was_ an awful lot of light in the room.

Finally, Harry's eyes adjusted and he looked up. He had forgotten his room was in a flower and in the morning light it had blossomed open. He blinked hazily at the morning sky before flinging his covers off and swinging his legs out of bed.

He dressed quickly and found his books for the day. He shoved them into a black leather pack along with parchment and quills and clattered down the steps to the common room.

To his surprise Ron, Hermione, and Neville were already dressed and talking in a cluster near the fireplace.

"First years always have their classes together," Hermione said. "Next year we get a choice of electives."

"Where are the other first years?" Harry asked.

"Padma Patil and Lavender Brown already left to go to the beauty salon." Hermione sniffed as if she thought such things were a waste of time. "They want to look their best on the first day."

"Don't you?" Ron asked.

"I'd rather be prepared than pretty." She rolled her eyes as if this were obvious.

Harry decided he liked her very much and from the smile on Ron's face, he did, too.

"By the way," she said, squinting at Ron. "You have a smudge on your nose." She reached up and rubbed it with the cuff of her tunic.

He rubbed his nose self-consciously and turned red, but Hermione didn't notice because she had turned to address Neville.

"Where's Trevor?"

"Sleeping on that fountain." Neville snorted. "I think he found a favorite place."

"That was fast." Harry chuckled.

"He's lazy and he likes running water. Should have been born a frog." Neville shrugged.

The four of them made their way out of the tower and back to Avalon where they descended staircases and made their way back to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry was happy to see more familiar-looking food for breakfast: eggs, fish and potatoes, tomatoes and toast, beans and oatmeal and fresh butter and honey.

He piled his plate high and tucked in. Then he looked around the Hall.

"Where are the thralls?"

"They'll be here soon. They get up at dawn and begin tending to the animals." Ron explained.

"What kinds of animals?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well, the regular livestock like cows and sheep and pigs and pigeons and stuff," Ron said as he chewed on a mouthful of fried potatoes. "Then there's the thestrals and screwts and hippogriffs and unicorns and magical creatures. We'll learn about all that. The thralls get training first so they can tutor us."

Ron was right and the thralls soon joined the rest of the students in the hall. Dudley looked dusty and they all smelled of earth and hay, but he was grinning and waved at Harry.

Harry motioned him over and Ron scooted over to make a place for him. Dudley dropped heavily to the bench and set his plate in front of himself.

Steak, sausage, eggs, potatoes, and bacon were piled on his plate.

Harry frowned and looked around the table to see if he had missed the plates of meat. He hadn't. He stole some bacon from his cousin's plate.

"Hey!" Dudley protested.

"Well, how come you get all the good stuff and we get fish and oatmeal?" Harry protested.

"Most fairies are raised on a more native diet." Hermione recited as if by memory. "Livestock wasn't used for food very often and they were special foods for rare occasions like ritual sacrifice."

"What?" Harry and Dudley echoed.

"Well, they didn't understand crop rotation, did they?" Hermione reasoned. "They just knew that the plants stopped growing and sowing the ground with blood sometimes made them grow again. It's why old cemeteries are always lush and overgrown. There's a lot of minerals in the soil."

"I don't have botany until tomorrow," Dudley confessed. "We'll probably cover it all there. We didn't have much of a yard at home and mum grew flowers, mostly. The gardens here are HUGE, though. Hagrid's a genius!"

They chatted about what thralls did in the morning and about the animals they cared for and why they were kept. After they finished up their breakfasts and sorted out what classes they had when, they set out into the castle.

Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione found the portal for their first class easily enough, but they weren't prepared for what they found. A large portrait of a thin fairy with black hair, a pointy little beard, and large ornate silver and green wings sized them up as they approached. He was pale and his eyes were dark and glittering with amusement.

"Of _course_ they all arrive together." The fairy rolled his eyes. "How predictable."

"We came from breakfast together," Neville said, looking at the rest of them as if he thought he had missed something.

"Of course you did," the portrait purred. "But Miss Patil and Miss Brown have been here for ages."

"Well, they were dumb enough to skip breakfast to do their hair and makeup," Hermione said haughtily. "It's the most important meal of the day."

The fairy appraised her coolly before swinging open and revealing a staircase that descended into the dark.

Hermione stepped through and as she descended torches lit themselves along the walls. The others followed her and the painting slammed shut behind them. Harry turned nervously, but it was growing darker as the others descended and he had to hurry to catch up.

Finally, they came to a heavy steel door with a round wheel on the outside. It looked rusted solid, but it turned easily enough and when it swung open it revealed a large room made of steel and brass with large bubbled windows that revealed an aquatic landscape.

Brown and Patil were both there, their hair and makeup elaborately done and their heads bowed over a book that had a fashion magazine hidden inside.

Harry chose a seat by the window and Ron sat next to him. Hermione sat in front of them, in the first row, and Neville reluctantly took the seat next to her.

Other students made their way in, mostly with green and silver wings, but the two last boys from Gryffindor finally arrived before the door slammed shut and locked.

"I don't accept tardiness in my class." Professor Snape swept into the classroom, his wings such a dark green they may as well have been black, the silver veining on them tarnished. His skin was pale and the veins at his temples showed in dark contrast. His eyebrows were heavy and arched and his eyes were stark black. He wore light black leathers and a heavy apron covered in metal scales. "Many elixirs need to cure properly and cannot be rushed. Rushing leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to chaos."

His dark eyes went to each of them in turn, though the penetrating gaze seemed to linger on Harry who felt a headache coming on.

As soon as he had felt it, it was gone.

"Potter! What would I get if I combined powdered acacia blossom with petals of geranium and purple hyacinth oil?" Snape snapped at Harry.

Harry started. He had looked over his books, but he hadn't read them yet. He was looking at the back of Hermione's bushy curls and tried to wish himself into her head, but he couldn't and she remained waving her hand in the air like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said meekly.

"What about a bezoar?" Snape said silkily. "Where would you find one?"

"Oh, in the stomach of a goat," Harry said, happy to know the answer for something. "My cousin told me this morning at breakfast. They cure poisons, right?"

Snape blinked at him. "That is correct," he said reluctantly. He looked at Hermione coldly. "Ten points from Gryffindor for not knowing when to stay out of it."

Hermione looked like he had slapped her. With a glove. And declared pistols at dawn. And she had every intention of taking him on. Her eyes narrowed into a challenging glare and Neville glanced back at Harry worriedly.

The rest of the class went on without a hitch, although it soon became clear that Snape favored the Slytherin students, especially an unnaturally pale blond boy that was shadowed by two larger fairies with small wings and a dim look about them.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked after the class was over and they all shuffled out into the hall.

"Oh, don't pay any attention to him," Hermione scoffed as they climbed the stairs out of the aquatic classroom. "He's head of Slytherin House and he's infamous for favoring them. He's just trying to pick a fight, Harry."

"Looks like he got one," Ron said, sizing her up with an amused look on his face.

"He isn't going to know what hit him." Hermione said with a fierce determination that made Harry look at her out of the corner of his eye.


	6. Chapter 6

Thankfully, the rest of their classes went off without a hitch, with their favorite subject easily being History of Arcadia, which covered all of fairy history and a good deal of the history of the nine other realms that fairies could access from their homeland. The teacher was a barmy old ghost named Sir Cadogen, who loved to reenact major battles in the classroom, piling up tables and chairs to use as barricades and employing an enormous arsenal of rubber-band weapons.

Their other classes included Charms, where Harry learned the small man he met in the gatehouse was his Professor, a half-goblin named Flitwick. He was small, but rumored to be an award winning duelist in his youth and had several metals of achievement for services to the realm. In spite of his martial achievements Harry found him to be good natured and impossibly patient when it came to first years and their failed attempts at getting a feather to float in the air by manipulating small wind currents.

Finnegan managed to set his on fire, which set the little man to muttering about fire sprites and bloodlines, but the rest of the class was uneventful. Hermione, of course, watched her feather soar to the ceiling with a wide grin.

The rest were chided for not reading their books before the start of term.

Changeling Abilities with McGonagall looked impossibly challenging. Most failed their first test of turning into a mouse, but Ron managed to end up with whiskers and a twitchy little nose and the stern instructor seemed impressed in spite of herself.

After their classes were done Harry decided to go visit Dudley down with the rest of the thralls, and Ron and Hermione decided to join him.

The weather outside the castle was perfect, as always. The sun was starting to go down and there was still plenty of time before dinner. The three of them raced down the hill towards the farm, sometimes jumping into the air and letting their wings catch air. Ron was quite skilled, but both Harry and Hermione tripped more often than not.

"He's got an excuse!" Ron laughed at Hermione. "What's yours?"

"I'm adopted," Hermione blushed furiously. "My parents are humans."

"What?" Ron turned white. "But… where's your family? They found you once you got your wings, right?"

"No. I don't know where they are or who they are. They never came for me." Hermione shrugged. "Girl gave birth at a hospital and slipped out before social services got there. They said she was pretty young and looked pretty rough around the edges. Probably homeless. Might be dead."

"Bet the wings were a bit of a shock to your parents." Harry grinned widely at her, trying to change the subject as Ron's mouth hung open in shock.

"You have _no_ idea." Hermione giggled.

"So, it's _true_ then." A voice with an edge to it rang out. "The Gryffindors don't even know how to fly."

The three of them turned to see the pale blond boy from potions and his two sturdy-looking friends. They didn't look friendly.

"They were raised outworld, what do you expect?" Ron fired back. "Not everyone grew up drifting around mountaintops like you did."

"No, not everyone did." He gave Ron a superior look that made Ron's cheeks flush dark red.

Before anything else happened, Draco and the two other boys turned and floated off in the direction of the castle.

"What was all that about?" Hermione asked.

"Purebloods." Ron said it as if it was a bad word. "Think they're better than everyone else. It's not healthy."

"We get people like that in outworld, too," Hermione sighed. "Don't worry about them. They'll find someone else to annoy."

They continued on towards the farm, but Ron was in a much darker mood than he had been before.

"Dudley!" Harry called out as he spotted his cousin hoeing straight rows in a garden plot.

The larger boy stood up straight and waved before wiping his brow.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as they grew closer.

"I'm in charge of the pumpkin patch!" Dudley said proudly. "I told them about the prize ones we grew last year and Hagrid wants to see what I can do with enhanced planting techniques."

"Oh, your dad will be happy. He was really proud of those pumpkins." Harry agreed.

"Harry!"

They turned to see Hagrid walking towards the future pumpkin patch. She was unsteady in her gait, and was carrying a bucket of water the size of an oil drum. She set it down near the gate and took a minute to catch her breath. "Yeh not done with them rows yet?"

Dudley opened his mouth to protest when he saw the twinkle in Hagrid's eye and just snorted at her.,

"Jus' leave 'em." Hagrid waved a hand at him. "'Ave t' others do it tomorrow. Yeh've done enough fer one day."

Dudley put his hoe down and leaned against the fence.

"Is this one of your classes?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well, sort of." Dudley faltered. "Mostly it's chores."

"What?" Hermione looked outraged. "You're here to get educated! Not pick up after us!"

Hagrid laughed at her. "It's no' like that." She shook her bushy head. "Thralls are important t' fairies. Mor' than friends or family. They're all yer support!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, when yeh leave here you've got to do som'thin wi' yer life, doncha? What if yer drawn to quests? Yer parents both had a yearnin' in 'em, yeh might. Yer thrall has t' be able t' keep up wi' you out in the field. It's dangerous if they ain't ready fer it. Yer cousin thinks its chores, but he's learnin' bot'ny, n' survival skills, n' magic n' monster lore." She looked at Dudley. "Tell 'em about yer new friend."

Dudley turned red and buried his head in his hands. He groaned.

"What happened?" Harry asked, already looking delighted.

"Got hisself a hippogriff girlfriend." She clapped the large boy on his back. "Kept tryin' t' bring 'im gifts all mornin'."

"I don't know what was worse, the dead ferrets or her taking a snap at Jenny for handing me a shovel." Dudley said in a muffled voice.

"Jenny can take care o' herself." Hagrid chuckled. "Gave 'er a thump on th' beak n' that stopped straightaway."

"Where's the hippogriff now?" Ron asked curiously.

"Jenny's out ridin' 'er o'er the forest. Took a shine to 'er too." Hagrid smiled. She looked at Dudley. "Go get cleaned up a'for runnin' round wi' this lot. You'll lose track o' time an' I won' be hearin' 'bout it. Yeh embarrass yerself, yeh embarrass us 'n all."

"It'll be a minute," Dudley said as he made his way to the barn.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of them chatted about classes and the outworld until Dudley returned in clean robes and wet hair. Hagrid gave him a sniff.

"Well, yeh smell a deal better." Hagrid said in an amused tone. "Go on. Don' be late fer dinner, an' don' get too close t' th' forest. Leastways until we get whatever's been botherin' the birds."

"What's that mean?" Hermione asked as they walked away.

"Somethings been bothering the doves." Dudley looked worried. "They can't figure out what it is."

"You mean chasing them?" Hermione asked.

"No, eating them." Dudley made a face.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you _serious?"_

"Yeah. It's really serious, isn't it?" Dudley asked. "They tried to act like it was nothing when we found them, but the patrols showed up really fast and went out into the forest to hunt whatever it was down."

"Did they come back?" Ron asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah. One black-haired kid was injured somehow, but it didn't look serious. More like a sprained wrist," Dudley said, shuffling his feet.

"Don't a lot of things eat birds?" Hermione asked. "There are plenty of cats around."

"The animals here don't eat each other," Ron explained.

"But… but, they have to!" Hermione spluttered. "Cats are carnivores!"

"It's a spell on the grounds," Ron explained. "To keep people's familiars from getting eaten and to let the pixies live in peace. Mice, moles, voles, you know? Small things are OK. Flying things are strictly off limits."

"So what could be eating them?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Dudley said with a frown. "But people are acting secretive. I don't like it."

"As your fairy I command you to share my quarters with me," Harry said imperiously.

"I'm a free thrall, you can't do that!" Dudley laughed.

"Yeah, but it makes it official if anyone asks." Harry explained as Ron and Hermione looked at him with shocked expressions. "You sleep close to the forest and if anything happens to you your dad will kill me. You're bunking with me."

Dudley let out a dramatic fake groan. "I'm never going to have a room to myself."

"You're going to have a family Legacy Room," Ron said, bewildered. "It's a lot nicer than bunking down here, I'm sure!"

"What's that mean?" Dudley asked Harry.

"I guess Potters have gone here forever and have their own suite." Harry shrugged in embarrassment. "It's in a giant flower blossom that opens at dawn and tries to blind you."

"You can get a canopy for that." Hermione smiled. "My bunkmate has one!"

"I thought you were the only Gryffindor girl in our year?" Ron asked.

"They take you when your wings appear," Hermione said simply. "So there are other girls my _age,_ just not in our year. I'm rooming with second years. They found out I was from outworld and didn't know I was a fairy so they kind of took me in."

"Well, that's nice!" Ron said. "Sometimes fairies that have never been outworld can be snobby."

"Like that guy from earlier?" Hermione sniffed.

"What's that?" Dudley asked, looking at Hermione and frowning. Harry noticed he was puffing his chest out and tried not to laugh.

"Just some wanker from Slytherin teasing us because we can't fly yet," Ron muttered.

"Was he blond?" Dudley asked with a grin.

"Yeah, why? Harry asked suspiciously.

"Because I saw him flying earlier, and so did the flying instructor! She was _mad!"_ Dudley looked at them with big eyes. "No flying before your lessons!"

"But, didn't you say he grew up floating around mountaintops?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Yeah, but that all changes when you get to school!" Dudley interrupted. "You can do whatever you want at home and it's your parents fault, but you can't just fly around like a madman. What if you crash into someone else that takes it in his mind to fly around the castle, too?"

"Worse thing at home is that he'll startle some bird. Here he might break his neck." Ron added. "There are rules you have to learn."

"Do you know how to fly?" Hermione asked Ron, impressed.

"I have five older brothers and a younger sister." Ron said crankily. "Of course I know how to fly. I'd never have any toys if I didn't. My stupid brothers had a treehouse without a ladder."

"I never want to hear about taking stuff up to the upper bunk ever again," Harry told Dudley, who laughed.

They walked around the grounds for some time, but finally made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione took their places at the Gryffindor table while Dudley went to the large round table for thralls, who welcomed him heartily.

"We should sit with them," Harry remarked. "They look like a lot of fun."

"Most of the thralls are uncomfortable around fairies. Some were raised as servants and don't know anything else." Ron shrugged.

"That's horrible!" Hermione spluttered. "It's slavery!"

"Well, family ones are swapped fair and square!" Ron said defensively.

"What do you mean 'swapped?'" Harry asked incredulously.

"Oh," Hermione said in a whisper. "It's true then. About changelings."

"Usually it was arranged for by their parents." Ron explained.

"Well, you three look serious," Fred said as he sat down across the table from them.

"We're talking about familial thralls," Ron said.

"Well, that's not a very pretty subject," George said as he sat next to his twin.

"No, it's not," Hermione said furiously.

"But they would have died otherwise!" Fred said with a bewildered look on his face.

"What?" Hermione looked surprised.

"You could have started at the beginning," George tsked.

"Well, you do it then!" Ron said grumpily.

"Way back when, when it was difficult for human children to survive parents would arrange a fostering between Earth and the Fairy Realms. Their children would thrive in a controlled environment, and ours would be heartier, work harder, contribute more than a regular human child could," Fred said benevolently.

"But then fairies come back when they reach adulthood!" Hermione spluttered. "And the humans become sidekicks!"

"What's a sidekick?" George asked.

"Like, in a story. The people that assist the hero, but aren't the hero. Not like their mentor, but the people that accompany them." Harry fumbled.

"Free thralls," the twins said in unison. "Harry, you have one."

"It was an accident!" Harry groaned. "I just made him, I don't own him."

The Weasleys and Hermione laughed.

"Avalon hasn't seen a family team in years, you know!" Fred said, looking impressed. "And your cousin is really big! Hagrid told us he's already in charge of the pumpkin patch."

"Can't tell you're related, really," George said as a spry looking black fairy sat next to him. "This is Lee Jordan. He's in our year. Announces the formations in the House Battles."

"We look like our dads," Harry said embarrassedly. "Mine was tall, but it didn't happen until he was older."

"You aren't even a teenager yet," Fred said seriously. "I wouldn't let it worry you. Small fighters are better in Battle anyway. You ever flown before?"

"No," Harry said.

The twins looked at each other and grinned. "I'd go take a walk in the trophy room if I was you. The 70's are particularly interesting."

The food appeared in front of them and they tucked in. Harry was happy to see fish and chips and piled his plate high before liberally applying vinegar to all of it.

He had barely managed to take a bite when there was a clatter.

The Unseelie Professor, Quirrel ran into the Hall screaming.

"Monster! In the dungeons!" His eyes were wide and full of fear. Suddenly, he fainted.

"Everyone to their portals!" Dumbledore stood up and roared from the head table. "Take your thralls with you! Prefects and above, with me!"

Harry stood up and looked for Dudley, who was already on his way to the Gryffindor table, his face white. He picked up Harry and slung him over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Harry yelled.

"This way!" the twins said. One grabbed Hermione, the other Ron, and they rose in the air.

They flew out of the Hall and to the portrait of the Fat Fairy as Dudley pounded behind them and Harry was jostled around more than he liked.

"Password?" She asked.

The castle shook with a mighty crash.

"I'll get it later," she said as the portrait swung open and they dived through.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Sorry for the update delay, but the 4th of July weekend was busier than I thought it would be. Leviosa is next week and I will be there, then I'm visiting family for a week. So, there might be a bit of a delay in chapters coming out.

Also, this is a thinly veiled crossover with Sims 3 Supernatural.

o0o

The Weasley twins, Ron, Hermione, Dudley, and Harry tumbled into the Gryffindor common room.

"What was that?" Hermione squeaked out as she was set down rougher than she would have liked.

"A monster." Fred said worriedly.

"Percy can take care of himself," George assured him. "Now we get the fireplaces and firepits lit. Distract the little ones."

"Good idea." Fred agreed. He beckoned their friend, Lee, over to them and they started muttering between themselves.

Two girls approached Hermione and looked her over.

"You're fine?" The pale black-haired girl asked.

"Yeah." Hermione tried to hide a smile. "Thanks, Katie. I got flown back."

"Good," the dark-skinned, dark haired fairy said with a firm nod. "Stick around the Weasleys. They're goofy and sometimes _UNDEPENDABLE_ , but a good lot."

"Hey!" Fred protested. "Alicia, that's not fair! Skirmish practice on the first day of school is too much to ask of anyone!"

"You're lucky that's all I'm saying. Don't push your luck," Alicia said coolly.

Fred made a face and went back to the group huddle.

"You still mad at him for skipping out on practice today?" Katie asked, trying to control her grin.

"We're not letting Slytherin win this year if it's the last thing I do," Alicia said through clenched teeth. "If they win one more time—"

"You'll end up snogging Marcus Flint in the dungeons instead of the library." Katie rolled her eyes. "You two have the stupidest bets, ever."

"That was only once!" Alicia hissed, her face darkening.

"Every time he looked at you today you went all flush and coy." George offered. "Once? I don't bloody well think so! If he waggled his eyebrows any more they'd win a dance competition."

Alicia squeaked as Katie laughed.

"What do you think is going on in the castle?' Harry asked worriedly.

"Well, I'm glad you asked!" Fred said in the same tone a snake oil salesman might use.

"Here we go," Katie muttered.

"When there is an intruder in the castle there a number of ways that can be used to diffuse the situation," George said knowledgably.

The younger students' attention was captured and Fred, George, and Lee led them outside to explain how castle security worked. Food appeared in the common room as if by magic and they took it as a good sign.

"If the kitchens are still working all isn't lost," Lee assured them as they finally got a chance to eat their supper after the explanations of the various charms, hexes, and security measures the castle possessed.

"But if that stuff about security is true then how did it get in to begin with?" Dudley asked.

"Portal," Lee said as he flipped a piece of fried potato in the air and caught it in his mouth. "There are oodles of old ones throughout the castle. Most of them are used or disengaged, but sometimes they forget about one that's in the middle of nowhere and something wanders through. That's why we have alarms."

"Quirrel's an alarm?" Ron asked.

"He was probably in the staff room when the bell rang." Fred snorted.

The portal opened and the Head Boy came through, followed by the Gryffindor prefects. Percy looked cheered at the sight of food and slumped into a seat with a bowl of vegetables, potatoes, and fish.

"What happened?" Fred asked him.

"Stupid troll wandered through some old portal near a volcano, somewhere." Percy shook his head. "Cornered some clueless Ravenclaw in a bathroom, but we got him out."

"Is he OK?" Neville, who had wandered in from outside, asked nervously.

"He's a bit spacey, but otherwise he's alright. Perfectly understandable." Percy nodded. "Sent him off to his common room with one of their prefects."

"We were worried," Ron admitted.

Percy looked at his brothers confused. "But I can fly! And I'm a prefect!"

"Not every monster stays put, Perce," George reminded him. "What if it'd been some primordial magical slime? It's not like the alarms tell you what it is."

"If it had been really dangerous we'd have blocked it's exit and gotten the faculty," the Head Boy said seriously.

"David, tell them what we did wasn't death defying," Percy said with a sigh.

"We knocked it out. It took about three seconds," David the Head Boy told them as he picked up a radish and popped it into his mouth. "We did send the ghosts in first, you know. We're not idiots."

"I hadn't thought of that," Fred muttered. "Of course you did."

"Ghosts!" Hermione said excitedly. "What kind of ghosts?"

"Well, each House has its own patron ghost that ties us to the Nether-Nether." David said, sitting on the arm of Percy's chair. "They guide us in this life, and if our lives are cut short they'll guide us to our Everafter."

"Oh, so they're like angels?" Hermione asked.

"Well, their wings _are_ feathered," Percy said with a chuckle.

"Who's our ghost?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Sir Nicholas," David said as the twins opened their mouths. They scowled at him. "He doesn't like it when you call him Nearly-Headless Nick. Stop it."

"How can you be nearly headless?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Like this," came a jolly voice from behind her.

They whirled to see a great transparent fairy behind her with great feathered wings. He gripped his hair firmly and tilted his head right off of his neck.

She screamed. Ron gasped. Harry stared with wide eyes. The older Weasleys and David burst out laughing. Dudley shook his head as if he had seen this before.

"Oh, put it back on, Nick! We're eating!" Alicia Spinnet complained.

"A thousand pardons, madam," The ghost said with a swoop of his musketeers hat complete with plumage, his other hand firmly holding his head in place as he bowed to her.

"So, now we're stuck here all night?" asked Fred.

"Right in one," said Percy as he reached for a peach. "So what are we going to do to keep you lot entertained?"

"We could always organize a study group." Hermione suggested.

"We might need it," Ron muttered with a scowl on his face.

"It's the first week!" Fred and George laughed. "It can't be that bad!"

"Snape." Ron grumbled.

"Oh." The twins looked at each other. "Picked one of you already, did he?" Fred asked.

"Harry." Hermione got a fierce look in her eye. "Thinks he's going to play that game, does he?"

Percy looked at her over his cup of pumpkin juice. He lowered it and wiped his orange mustache away. "He's been playing that game a long time."

"So he's had time to get old and slow," she said coolly. She got to her feet and stalked outside.

"You know, I've never felt sorry for Snape before," George said conversationally.

"Well you know the old proverb," his twin said sagely. "Where there's strife, there's demand for a betting pool."

"What are her odds?" Percy asked, as if he had been through this hundreds of times.

"He's got experience, but she's a true outworlder," George remarked. "No history. No bedtime stories about Unseelie to frighten the daylights out of her."

Fred smiled like a contented cat, who was also very evil. "I think I'm going to look forward to this term." He folded his arms behind his head.

There was a squeal outside as a flood of fireflies flowed into the Gryffindor gardens. The younger students ran about playing tag while the older students refereed or gathered around any of the firepits.

"Go play," Percy tilted his head at Harry, Ron and the lot of them inside. "Next Monday you're going to be up to your ears in work and you'll regret it if you don't"

The younger students grinned at each other and raced for the door, laughing as they went.

The older students waved them off and picked at the food.

"Now that they're gone, what happened?" Fred said in a low voice.

"Seriously, he came through an old portal," Percy said, not looking at them.

"What old portal?" George prodded.

Percy looked at the Gryffindor Head Boy who shrugged.

"One of the deeper ones, it looks like. Flitwick and McGonagall went through and said it was up some old lava tube somewhere." Percy shrugged.

"Trolls live in lava tubes now?" Fred asked skeptically.

"Maybe this one was on vacation," Percy said lamely.

"You aren't telling us everything." George accused David and Percy.

"Nothing else to tell you yet," Percy said truthfully. David looked at him sharply. "What? They'd figure it out by tomorrow morning, anyway. They're tops in Divination."

"Well, Divine how it got there and how that portal got reactivated," David said bitterly.

"Reactivated?" The twins said in unison.

"But, why?" George asked.

"To let the troll in," Fred said as if the answer was obvious.

"And the purpose of that would be to…?" George bobbed his head.

"Take the attention off the rest of the school," David finished and got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Percy asked.

"To the Headmaster's Office. I think it's going to be a long night."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry for the delay. I was in Las Vegas at Leviosa ;)

* * *

Harry woke up to the sound of his cousin farting.

"Really?" Harry grumbled to himself as he turned over in the bed they shared.

The morning started becoming brighter. Harry slipped on a pair of Dudley's sunglasses on and burrowed under the covers.

"Oh, God, put that thing out!" Dudley groaned as he squeezed his eyes tighter.

"That _thing_ is the sun," Harry said. "And trust me, I would if I could!"

There was a short scuffle over the sunglasses, which Dudley won. ('You can't wear them over your prescription ones, anyway!') And a race to the water cupboard, which Harry won, before they made their way dressed and tidy for the day ahead.

Harry found himself adjusting easily to his classes, with the exception of Changeling Abilities. No matter how desperately he wanted to excel in order to impress his Head of House he couldn't make flowers bloom with his mind, he didn't have any luck getting a mouse to manipulate a maze, and no matter how hard he hummed, he couldn't get a patch of grass to dance.

In other words, he was right on track with everyone else.

The one thing he did learn during the week was there was nothing and no one that he despised more than Draco Malfoy.

It wasn't just that Snape favored him, which he did; or that he tried to insult Harry every chance he got, which he also did. It was that he seemed to excel at all of his subjects without very much effort at all.

Thank Arcadia for Hermione.

Where Malfoy excelled, she wasn't just his match, but was ravenously curious about Arcadia and the rest of the Fairy Realms besides Avalon which seemed to impress all of their teachers, most of all, Sir Cadogen.

Fortunately for Ron and Harry, her retellings of her one-on-one sessions with their instructors were so interesting they were actually beginning to learn things and became fierce competition for the Slytherins.

The Slytherins were not taking this well.

However, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors were pleased to know they only had few classes with the Slytherins and the rest of the time they could avoid them.

This all came to a head late one day when a notice went up on the Gryffindor notice board informing the first years their first flying lesson was coming up.

Harry felt nervous about the whole affair. It was one thing to run down a hill and let your toes skim the tips of the grass, but it was quite another to just open your wings and take flight, Hermione was quick to remind them of that.

"There are an awful lot of things to remember," she told them worriedly. You need to have full control of your wings first and we aren't old enough for full articulation. A lot of things could go wrong."

"Oh, come on, Hermione!" Ron tried to reason with her. "Everyone that leaves Avalon can fly! It can't be that hard!"

But Ron had been very, very wrong.

Gliding _was_ easy, as they had all found out, but flying was much, much harder.

They all met on the Skirmish field one afternoon and their instructor, Madam Hooch was waiting for them. Her gold hawkish eyes bored into them as she assessed their potential.

"Fan your wings!" She ordered.

Most of the students stood there flapping to one degree or another, trying to get their wings to fully extend.

To Harry's annoyance, Malfoy snapped his open almost at once, the air making a thrumming sound as the breeze caught in them, pulling him slightly backwards and making him look like his chest was puffed out like a soldier.

"Very good," Hooch told him as she swept by, heading for Neville who had somehow tangled his wings together and was trying to reach over his shoulder to work them apart.

Harry closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He felt his back and the wings that grew out of them, how the bones moved together and how they felt when he tried to spread them.

Finally they snapped open, startling Harry with their sudden movement and toppling him over backwards.

"Good job, Potter!" Madam Hooch called out as she appraised the undersized wings of an apologetic Slytherin. "Try to get a better stance next time!"

Ron and Hermione helped Harry get up, and with a little concentration and manipulation they all managed to extend their wings. Even the small Slytherin girl with tiny ones, who surprisingly hovered several inches above the ground when hers were extended. They moved so fast they were nearly a blur and made a humming sound as she blushed.

"Parkinson! You related to the Beesburys?" Draco asked.

The girl nodded as he looked her over appraisingly. "On my mother's side, but her wings aren't like this."

"Sometimes things recess for a few generations and pop up when you least expect them." Hooch nodded sagely. "Well, never mind all that. You've all done very well for your first day!

Her attention was caught by a group of students who were making their way to the Skirmish Field with what looked like a jar of vibrant red butterflies.

"Are those from the Charms classroom?" She barked at them, startling the boy carrying them into dropping the jar.

"We're just borrowing them, miss!" Another student called out.

"Don't you dare!" She was stalking at them like a determined housecat confronting a garden snake.

"What's all that about?" Harry asked Ron, who shrugged.

When the jar was picked up the lid was knocked off and the butterflies escaped. The students dove for cover as the angry butterflies began shooting small jets of flame at them.

"I think _that's_ what that's about." Hermione remarked as she tilted her head to the side.

A single butterfly seemed to turn and look at the First Years. It vibrated for a moment before splitting into five butterflies, that made a beeline for them.

Several of the students yelped in surprise and ran for the castle while others dove for the ground.

Neville, who seemed to have a nervous habit of flitting his wings from time to time got their attention like a matador waving a red cape.

They were faster than they looked, and were now flying in a V formation right at Neville, who turned and ran.

Harry swore as he realized what direction Neville was running, and began running after him.

Hermione and Ron both gasped and soon followed, leading a great clattering of Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Neville!" Harry yelled, hoping the boy would hear him. "Run _away_ from the farm!"

Right then several Thrall poked their heads out of the great big barn Harry imagined was filled with animals and hay.

A black-haired boy shrieked and dove back inside, as did the others.

As Neville and Harry drew closer to the farm Harry saw Dudley's face appear, just as the butterflies let out a flash of fire and singed Neville's wings.

"Bloody hell, Piers! How stupid are you!?" Dudley bellowed as he ran out to the yard and started turning a spigot that was poking out of the ground. Water began running over the barn, and every other building in the small encampment. A bell sounded in the distance. "I know the others were raised here, but you bloody well know how a sprinkler system works!"

He picked up a hose and put his thumb over the end so it cast out a wide spray of fine droplets. Neville made for Harry's cousin, who hosed him down and blasted the butterflies out of the sky.

Hooch and several of the other students landed nearby, quite out of breath from their fast flying. "Are you all right, Longbottom?"

"I'm fine!" Neville said, waving a hand weakly and panting as Dudley patted him on the back.

"Did you see it split?" One of the older girls asked excitedly. "Flitwick's going to be so put out!"

"And they knew right what to do!" One of the Weasley twins exclaimed. Harry hadn't even noticed they had been part of the older students, but he shouldn't have been surprised. "Did you see them just coordinate and fire off like that?"

The other twin made a whizzing sound and demonstrated the formation with his hands.

"I didn't know you could run that fast, Longbottom," Hooch said appraisingly.

"Neither did I." Neville panted. "By the way, I stepped in a hole and my ankle is killing me—"

"Of course," Hooch said firmly. "Right to Madame Pomfrey with you."

"I got him." Dudley looked grim as he scooped up the small boy as if he weighed nothing.

"Your Thrall is strong." Hooch said impressively to Harry.

"He's my cousin." Harry shrugged. "His dad is big, too."

"He's the free Thrall?" Pansy Parkinson looked revolted.

"I'm not going to enslave family!" Harry spluttered. "Even if he wasn't, I'd have broken his contract."

"Doesn't matter, anyway." Ron shrugged. "Family is family."

"Not every family acts as if it's enthralled to each other," one of the twins said.

"Not everyone is lucky," the other said.

Harry would be glad for the day when he could tell them apart.

"What do we do with them now?" A dark-skinned older girl looked at the waterlogged butterflies laying on the ground.

"I think they'll dry out." Another older boy shrugged.

Just then Hagrid and a small group of older Ravenclaws burst out of the forest line. They were bloodied and beaten, with twigs and leaves sticking out from their hair and various parts of their midnight blue leathers.

"What happened to you?" Hooch asked, her eyes wide.

"Bit o' trouble wi' th' centaurs." Hagrid grumbled as she waddled up with a bag over one shoulder. "What's the alarm?"

"Fire-breathing butterflies," the older girl said, tilting her head to the side as if deciding how to pick them up.

"You lot know better than that." Hagrid chided them, her hands on her hips. "''Specially you, Angelina."

"We just wanted a game of Round-Up." The boy that had been examining the butterflies with her looked embarrassed.

"Wi' fire-breathin' butterflies?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," someone mumbled.

"I'm sure it did." Hagrid agreed. "How's it seem now?"

"Like not such a great idea," the same boy mumbled.

"Put 'em back afore you lose 'em again," Hooch said with a sigh. "We only need one catastrophe a day.


	10. Chapter 10

News about the butterfly incident traveled fast. The older students were given detentions and House points were taken away. Thankfully, all of the Houses had been involved so it hadn't mattered much, with the exception of the Gryffindors, who unfortunately had the most student involvement.

There had been much hemming and hawing, but the Gryffindor officers finally decided that the discovery of Neville's speed, along with Dudley's strength had been worth the loss of points and no more demerits were handed out.

Harry was congratulated for having such a strong thrall, something that was beginning to make him extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, he has latent fairy blood, doesn't he?" Fred pointed out one night as they were settled around one of the bonfires out in the Gryffindor yards. He gestured out to a rousing game of football with too many players. "He mixes well. Not like some of the others."

"Some of the other thralls have been treated like second-class citizens their whole lives," Hermione pointed out. "Why would they mix well? They're afraid!"

"Afraid of what?" George asked.

"What happens when a thrall gets out of line?" Hermione asked.

"Same thing when a fairy gets out of line." Fred shrugged. "There are rules. You don't get to walk away from unacceptable behavior just because of your birth or rank."

"So what happens if a thrall disobeys their master?" Hermione asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Well, it depends on their master and what they did." George stretched his arms. "Are we talking thievery, assault, murder? What do they do in the Outworld?"

"Sometimes its handled by the employers, but larger problems are handled by the law." Harry said. Hermione looked at him. "My uncle works in a factory. They're not going to call in the police for a stolen sandwich."

"A worker in his factory can quit his job if his boss is a mess!" Hermione blustered.

"But would a human employer call in police if a worker went missing?" Fred asked.

"Of course they would!" Harry said.

"Well, eventually…" Hermione hazarded.

"What do you mean?" George asked curiously.

"Well, people quit their jobs during the course of a workday, don't they? I mean, it's not usual, but people _do_ walk out. Don't they?" She didn't look sure of herself.

"Without telling anyone?" Fred asked.

"Well, I don't know." Hermione mumbled. "Sometimes it happens on TV."

"How long can an entire person go missing and no one know?" George asked the first years, a look of alarm on his face.

"It depends on who they are." Harry shrugged. "If they keep to themselves, who knows? They could be dead for months before the body is found, and even then they may not have ever been missed."

"How can a life be lost and no one notices?" Ron asked, horrified.

"Humans can't feel life force," Hermione said. "Outworlders have to learn how to feel it."

"You mean you can't feel it?" Ron asked, shocked. "Nothing?"

"And we can't see auras, either," Hermione said embarrassedly. "Our eyes aren't used to Seeing. We have to learn how to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked her as the Weasleys made surprised noises.

"What _are_ you talking about?" Percy asked as he passed by, his attention caught by the outburst.

"How fairies born outworld can't feel life force and can't see auras," Hermione said.

"Oh. Well, the dullness does go away. Avalon has a way of making repressed traits come out. Sight and sense and the easiest to lose, it's why they're always the first to go when you're Outworld for long periods of time." Percy said knowledgably.

"So, if we went Outworld we'd go blind?" Ron looked alarmed.

"Well, you're not going to be completely useless, but you're going to be more human than you've ever been." Percy assured him.

"The humans seem to get along all right without all of those things." Harry pointed out.

"But it makes life easier if you can read intentions," Fred said. "It's why people can't trust Unseelie."

"Why?" Harry asked. "I mean, other than the obvious."

"Well, their auras have been compromised, haven't they? Damaged or destroyed in one way or another." George said. "Like Snape. There's just nothing there."

"There isn't?" Harry asked blankly.

"When you start developing your sight you'll notice." Percy assured him. "Since you're not used to seeing them at all it won't be as much of a shock."

"Never thought of it that way." George rubbed his chin. "Do Outworlders make better Aurors? You know, because they're not used to auras and life force affecting them?"

"I don't know," Percy said, surprised. "But it's not like they can repress it forever. Just being around magic makes your own magic stronger. It's why the first years look more human."

"What's that mean?" Hermione scowled.

"Your ears are going to tip, your wings will get bigger, you'll start to grow more rapidly—"

"So, puberty?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Has it been tested outside the fairy realms?"

Fred waved her off, a motion that seemed to annoy her. "Why do you think we go fetch everyone that gets their wings? All sorts of things can go wrong."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"Mutations." The twins said ominously.

"Mutations?" Hermione snorted.

"Pointy horns and snaggle teeth," Fred said menacingly.

"Cloven hooves and snapping beaks," George contributed.

"Creeping, crawling, out of reach," recited Ron, rolling his eyes.

 _"All with a taste for fairy meat!"_ They finished together and cackled evilly.

"What?" Hermione and Harry said blankly.

"It's from a Halloween panto." Percy rolled his eyes. "To keep children from running away to Outworld."

"Do fairies really turn cannibalistic if they season Outworld?" George asked.

"I sincerely doubt it." Percy snorted. "For all we know her mother seasoned Outworld and there's no record of horns or even wings on anyone running around London." He nodded at Hermione.

"She could have been concealing them." Ron reasoned.

"They could have been cut off," Hermione said quietly.

The Weasleys went pale and Percy's look hardened. "Why would you say that?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Fairies birth easy and there wasn't anything easy about my birth. She had to have been damaged. I looked it up." Hermione looked defiant.

"Unless she wasn't a fairy." Percy whispered.

The twins sat up straight from their relaxed positions and stared at Hermione.

"But, there's no way—" George started.

"She made it through the veil!" Fred exclaimed.

"She's one of us!" Ron said firmly.

"Of course she is!" Percy snapped.

"It explains why Snape doesn't effect her," Ron said in wonderment.

"What?" The twins and Percy exclaimed.

"He snapped at her in class and she got mad at him. I saw her do it. Everyone did." Ron babbled.

"What did you expect? Applause?" Harry asked, half joking.

"But he's Unseelie! I mean, he was… sort of. Well, he's been touched, that's for certain—" Ron faltered.

"You aren't repelled by Snape?" Percy interrupted. "Like, literally?"

"Well, he's not my favorite teacher, but it's not like I'm running from the room." Hermione snorted.

"He's gotten a lot better at his shielding." Fred pointed out. "No need to terrify the firsties more than normal. Doesn't need to shield for us."

George shrugged. "Well, anyone touched by dark magics… it's like we were saying about auras. They get damaged and instead of reflecting they start repelling. It's why some places or people feel creepy or bad."

"I felt it." Harry blurted out. "The first night we were here. When I saw him at the staff table, I felt… something."

"But not in class?" Percy asked.

"No," said Harry.

"Well, a bit," Ron said uncomfortably.

"You might be more sensitive." Hermione pointed out.

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't." Fred turned around to take a glance at the football game. "Dad started training us young."

"But what does it matter if Hermione is half-fairy?" Harry asked. "My mother was a fairy and her sister wasn't."

"I bet they had different fathers," George said slyly, "and I bet your grandmother had fairy blood."

"They assume he does because he's so hearty and he gets along with everyone else." Percy shrugged. "It doesn't actually mean he does. Some people are just big and friendly."

"Better tell Lavender Brown that." Fred nodded at the game. "She keeps making cow eyes at him."

George waved his twin off. "Her parents are from Outworld. They couldn't care less if she married a human."

"Why _would_ they care?" Hermione snapped.

"There can be problems with mixing species, Hermione. Certain things don't mix well." Percy said gently. "Look at Seamus."

Hermione blinked. "What about Seamus?"

"He keeps setting things on fire!" George laughed. "Are you kidding?"

"Well, that's not his fault—" Hermione began.

"No, it's his parents." Fred said firmly. "Fairies and fire sprites. Don't know what they were thinking!"

"Maybe they fell in love!" Hermione said hotly.

"Nothing wrong with that, but adoption exists for a reason!" Percy hissed. "It's funny now, but if he has a nightmare and the tower spontaneously combusts? It's selfish and he's more dangerous than you give him credit for!"

"What if he marries a water spirit or something more… earthy?" Hermione asked. "Would it make the children more stable?"

"If it's ever happened before it's been Outworld. No records of anything like that here." Percy shook his head.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Percy's specialty is bloodline tracking and inter-species research," Fred explained.

"You'd call it genetics," Percy said with a smirk.

"We were supposed to start it this year," Hermione said with a slump to her shoulders. "But then I came here instead."

"You have classes like that at your age?" Fred asked a bit too casually. It was as if he could see the look on Percy's face behind him and was delighted.

"Yeah, it's part of basic biology." Hermione made a bitter face. "I know we're going to cover it all eventually here as well, but it's going to be spread out over several classes instead of a concentration of life sciences." She didn't seem to notice Percy's expression.

"You could always bring extra books next term," Harry suggested, curious to see if Percy was going to actually explode. "See how much faster outworld curriculum is."

George hazarded a look over his shoulder and had to turn back quickly and pretended to cough to cover a bark of laughter.

"I'd be very interested in seeing them, if you do," Percy said haughtily. "If you'll excuse me." He turned on his heel and marched away.

Hermione finally looked up. "What's with him?"

"I think you took the wind out of his sails." Fred laughed.

"Well, we might learn genetics later, but we also learn magic." Harry pointed out. "That's kind of more important, isn't it?"

"Not really." Ron said. "Unless you have issues with control."

"Like Ginny." Fred said and George giggled.

"Who's Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Our little sister, and she knows exactly what she's doing, she's just a liar," Ron said coolly. "Particularly gifted in hexes and general mayhem."

"Hopefully she'll be here next year." George sighed. "Don't know what mum and dad will do with an empty house."

Harry and Hermione both snorted.

"Ew." The twins said in unison.

"Mum's going to sleep until Christmas," Ron said firmly. "I heard her tell Aunt Muriel."

"I believe it." Fred snickered.

"Maybe we should send her a present!" George suggested cheerfully.

"Don't you dare!" Hermione chided them.

"Spoilsport." George made a face at her.


	11. Chapter 11

"Right, Neville. I want you to take this ball and run as fast as you can towards that goal. Think you can get there before the twins?"

Oliver Wood, a tall, sandy-haired fairy looked at Neville seriously.

Neville turned and looked at the twins, who were floating several inches above the neatly-cut grass. "I doubt it."

The several Gryffindors that had gathered around the Skirmish Field tittered. Oliver glared at them until they stopped.

"Do your best. Pretend those butterflies are after you again!" Oliver handed him a ball. "Now, GO!"

Neville took off like a shot towards the opposite side of the field and the twins took off after him, pelting him with tennis balls as they went.

He was managing to make good time when one of the balls passed him by and nestled itself in the grass. Unfortunately, he stepped on it when he chanced a glance behind him and his foot flew out in front of him and he landed on his back with a loud THUD.

He stayed there. The twins hovered worriedly above him, and eventually the rest of the Gryffindors made their way out to the field and around Neville who was still on the ground and gasping for air.

"Oh dear," Oliver said pursing his lips.

"Asthma," Hermione said firmly. She pulled a small spray vial out of her pocket and put it in Neville's mouth. She pushed it in with a popping sound and Neville inhaled deeply. She put a hand on his chest to hold him down if he decided to get up, but he did not. He laid his head back and began to catch his breath.

"I told you not to do it without your inhaler in your pocket," she nagged him. He groaned and tried to get up, but she pushed him back down. "You'll get up when I say you can." She rounded on Oliver. "I told you this was a bad idea!"

"It's not a bad idea!" Neville wheezed from the ground. "I just need to get in better shape, carry my inhaler, and not trip over my own feet."

"We're not going to put him out there first time we can," Oliver said reassuringly. "But fast runners are fast flyers and we want to get him training up as soon as we can."

"Can we at least start him on a treadmill?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"What's a treadmill? Fred Weasley asked curiously.

There was a cry from the edge of the clearing and the elder students looked up and immediately put themselves between the younger pupils and the forest.

Harry peered around Oliver Wood's wings and he saw it. Him. Them.

Centaurs. A row of them and they didn't look happy at all.

"Alicia. Take them back to the castle and ring the bell." Oliver's words were strangely calm.

The younger students turned to Alicia for directions and she opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut short by a crossbow bolt to the leg. She screamed, and then it was pandemonium.

"How _dare_ you!" Katie Bell shrieked at the centaurs, who looked confused.

"Wasn't us! We have bows!" A defensive voice bellowed back at her. Then there was a loud grunt as one of the centaurs reared up, and then fell dead with a crossbow bolt in his back.

The centaurs charged forward and the older students didn't break formation as the centaurs sidled up between them, their bows drawn at the thick trees that encircled the school grounds.

"I can't see anything," Oliver Wood said gruffly.

"Truce?" One of the centaurs asked.

"Truce." Wood nodded. "Not that either of us have the authority to parlay anything."

The centaur shrugged.

A bell rang in the distance and a side door to the castle was flung open a few students trickled out at first, then more as they ran outside to defend the school.

"Should we go in the castle?" Hermione whispered squeakily.

"Not on your life," Ron breathed. "What could make a crossbow bolt go that far?"

"Magic," Harry said simply. It seemed obvious to him.

"Was the first even intended for us, or did it just miss them and continue on?" Katie asked.

"Had to have been for us." Oliver said. "If the second had been shot as hard as the first it would have gone through that poor sod's back."

"So the first was for us and the second for them." Katie quirked her head to one side. "How odd."

Alicia let out a moan just as the Gryffindor Head boy approached. "Get her to the infirmary!" He barked.

Several third years helped pick her up and quickly moved towards the castle while she gnashed her teeth and growled. As they passed by Harry he noticed her eyes were glowing a deep blood red.

"What are you doing here!" A voice demanded.

Percy Weasley was in front of them with his hands on his hips.

"We were testing Neville for the Skirmish team and the centaurs showed up and someone attacked both of us!" Ron said excitedly.

"Both of us?" Percy frowned. Then he shook his head. "Back to the castle. All of you. Now."

There was a note of finality in his voice that said the matter was closed for comment.

"But what about the Thralls?" Harry asked worriedly as he glanced in the direction of the gardens.

"They used the escape tunnel and they're probably already in the castle. Now go."

They did as they were told, along with the rest of the first years who plodded back up to the castle casting looks over their shoulders.

"We can watch from the battlements." Hermione suggested.

"Better than nothing," Harry pointed out to Ron, who looked cranky.

"I always get sent inside when anything interesting happens," he groused.

"I'd call a bolt to the leg plenty of excitement for one day," Neville said from behind them.

"You feeling better?" Hermione asked.

"I can breathe, but I'm not sure about better." He looked over his shoulder at the older students and centaurs gathering in battle formations.

A few young centaurs galloped up with them, also looking unhappy.

"Hello," Hermione said shyly. They had pale skin and brown coats. Their faces were man-like, but had a vague horse-like look to them.

One sniffed her. "Outworlder." This didn't seem to deter him, he snuffled at her curiously and with deeper breaths. He buried his hands in her curls and she giggled as he brought them to his face. Her face turned pink.

"Firenze! What are you doing!" An older, black-coated centaur with dark brown skin barked. He galloped up and slapped the younger centaur on the back of the head.

"This fairy smells… come smell her, Bane!"

"We can sniff fairies in the castle, just get in there first! We don't know what that was, only that it is evil!" Bane looked both stern and exasperated.

"Evil?" Hermione's head whipped around and her curls bounced. Firenze looked delighted. "That's impossible! Evil cannot survive in Avalon because of its protections!"

Bane looked at her suspiciously. "How does one that has been here so short a time know about the island's secrets?"

"I read it in Avalon: An Archive," Hermione said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms. "We went to get my books right after my wings sprouted and Dumbledore came to tell my parents what was going on. I picked up a few extras."

"You were raised by humans!" Firenze looked shocked and Bane looked horrified.

 _"_ _I_ was raised by humans," Harry said defensively.

"But it wasn't a shock when you turned. My father nearly had a stroke." Hermione snickered. "My birth mother disappeared from the hospital right after I was born. No one knew who she was." Hermione shrugged as if she were used to explaining this all of the time. "She was really young and she had blond hair. That's all I know."

"And she was a pureblood," said Firenze as he sniffed at Hermione again.

Harry felt sorry for Hermione, but she didn't look sad. He felt jealous when Firenze scooped her up and placed her on his back. She sat tall, as if she were used to riding, and only touched him when she went to peer over his shoulders to get a better look at what was in front of them.

They reached the castle, Firenze still taking deep breaths, much to the annoyance of Bane.

Once inside, the centaurs began the climb to the battlements with the Avalonian students and Harry and Ron were able to slip in among them.

The centaurs took positions on the battlements with gathering instructors, as if this were something they had been trained to do, and perhaps they had. Harry would have to ask Hermione later.

They waited while the student officers took positions on the green facing the forest.

They waited and waited, and finally the bell rang again and they retreated back into the castle.

Murmurs shuffled through the crowd as they left the ramparts and made their way down to the Great Hall.

The food was already served and was cooling on the long table when they got there. Several tall tables without seating had been brought in for the centaurs.

The head table was empty and Harry assumed the instructors and head centaurs were convening somewhere.

The thralls were already eating and Dudley waved to Harry as they passed on the way to the Gryffindor table.

To Harry's amusement Firenze gathered his food and sat down at the head of the Gryffindor table, next to Hermione who turned pink again. He stuffed his face in her hair and took a deep breath. Harry couldn't but notice the way she leaned into him and sighed.

Ron looked alarmed.

Bane happened to be passing by and slapped him on the back of the head. Firenze snorted and glared at the other centaur.

"Where are your manners?" Bane growled.

"Smell it!" Firenze insisted. "It's strange! Cinnamon and apples— "

"She smells like a pie?" Ron interrupted. He stuck his face in her curls and inhaled deeply.

"What is wrong with everybody? Stop it!" Hermione burst out.

"You didn't mind it when he was doing it!" Ron protested. "And he's smelling your shampoo. You do smell like pie."

Bane narrowed his eyes and hovered his head over Hermione's and inhaled deeply. Then he made a snort-whinnying noise of surprise.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.

"She smells of ancient magic," Bane said in surprise. He buried his face in her curls and Hermione sighed in resignation.

"It's enough of a mess, you know." She scowled as her eyes rolled up, trying to glare at Bane.

"Firenze will braid it for you," Bane said absentmindedly.

"I will?" Firenze blurted out.

"Might as well. You started it." Ron pointed out gleefully.

"Are you sure you aren't part-centaur?" Bane asked Hermione.

"Wouldn't she have hooves or a tail or something?" Ron asked.

"They make potions for both species to transmogrify in order to produce offspring. The child will reflect the form chosen for mating." Bane shrugged. "You are a most interesting fairy," he said to Hermione curiously.

"Thanks, I think," Hermione said as he ran his fingers through her curls, making her hair double in size as the curls separated and multiplied.

Ron chortled into his pudding.

After pudding was over and they had fruits and cheeses, Percy arrived and sat down heavily next to Ron. He looked weary and his hair was sticking out at all angles as if he had been running his fingers through it for an hour, which he probably had.

"How's it going?" Fred asked. "Or is it classified?"

"They'll make the announcement soon, but bugger the rules." Percy said. His brothers looked stunned. Even Fred and George stopped talking to their friend, Lee Jordan, and whipped their heads around, and they were seated halfway down the table.

"Bugger the rules?" Fred parroted in awe.

"Are you feeling well, Perce?" George looked concerned. "Been hexed? Should we take you to the infirmary?"

"Something has breached the Ancient Protections," Percy said as if he could hardly believe it himself. "The centaurs thought it was us because they were effected first, but now that we have all that sorted out…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing centaurs were among them.

"What is going on, fairy?" Bane demanded.

"Yeah, fairy!" Ron poked his brother. "You can't just show up and scare us and stop answering questions."

"We have an Unbreakable Truce with the centaurs." Percy held his hands out to show he had nothing to do with this if the centaurs were angry. "They just did it. Emergency evacuations are underway. They're trying to get everyone out of the forest. The castle magic will grow more space for everyone overnight. They're all coming to live with us."


End file.
